Miklós Horthy

Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya, Duke of Szeged and Otranto (Hungarian: Vitéz Nagybányai Horthy Miklós; Kenderes, June 18, 1868 – Estoril, February 9, 1957) was a Hungarian Admiral and statesman and served as the Regent of Hungary from March 1, 1920 until October 15, 1944.

Interwar Period, 1919-1939

The end of the war made Hungary a landlocked nation, and hence they had little need for Horthy's services anymore. However, he was still regarded by his people as a war hero, and this status paid off in 1919, when the Communist Béla Kun seized power in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Horthy became head of the armed forces of the counter-revolutionary government established on April 10 in the eastern city of Szeged (occupied by French forces). As the head of the newly organised National Army, he decided to spare his forces and avoided all combat. On August 6 Romanian forces entered Budapest, deserted by the Communists three days before. During the Romanian military control of Budapest, counter-revolutionaries and Romanian forces launched the White Terror against Leftists and Jews. The Romanian army retreated from Budapest on November 14 leaving Horthy in command of the city. Following the orders of the Entente, Romanian troops finally evacuated Hungary on February 25 1920.

Related Topics:
1919 - Communist - Béla Kun - Budapest - April 10 - Szeged - French - August 6 - Romania - White Terror - Jews - November 14 - Hungary - February 25 - 1920

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In March, 1920, the National Assembly of Hungary re-established the Kingdom of Hungary, but elected not to recall Charles IV of Hungary from exile. Instead, they proclaimed Horthy as Regent for an indefinite period of time. The Admiral without a fleet in a country without a coastline spent the next 24 years as the Regent for a Kingdom without a King.

Related Topics:
1920 - Charles IV of Hungary

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A staunch conservative, Horthy eventually began to sympathize with Fascism and appointed several pro-fascist officials to cabinet posts in the 1930s. Eventually, when the Nazi government of Adolf Hitler began to rise in power and put pressure on neighboring nations to return territories lost after the war, Horthy became his willing accomplice. In November 1938, the Vienna Arbitrage enabled him to annex nearly one-third of Slovakia. Five months later, when Hitler took over what remained of Czechoslovakia, the Germans allowed Hungary to seize Ruthenia, as well.

Related Topics:
Conservative - Fascism - 1930s - Nazi - Adolf Hitler - 1938 - Vienna Arbitrage - Slovakia - Czechoslovakia - Ruthenia

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